Is the Lexus RC F Track Edition Better Than the Segment Stalwart BMW M3?
On paper, the Lexus RC F Track Edition and BMW M3 have a lot in common, but in reality, they’re quite different.
BMW may not have necessarily created the luxury performance sedan/coupe, but they most certainly perfected it, decades ago. Regardless, other automakers have since caught up to the venerable 3-Series, and buyers in this segment have many worthy alternatives at their disposal. That includes the Lexus RC F Track Edition, which The Straight Pipes recently pitted against the latest version of BMW’s M3 in a very interesting comparison.
First off, it’s worth noting that these two cars are quite similar in a number of ways, including their respective outputs, though they make their power in very different ways. The 2021 BMW M3 is powered by a twin-turbo, 3.0-liter inline-six that produces 473 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque, while the Lexus RC F Track Edition makes 472 horsepower and 395 pound-feet of torque via its naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V8.
In a straight line, these two cars unsurprisingly match up quite closely, though the BMW took the close win after getting jumped by the RC F off the line. “The M3 just kind of always beat it out,” our host says. “And even when we did a roll race, I was still faster in the M3, but depending on what gear we were in it was like barely faster. If we did an eighth-mile maybe this car would have won.”
Interestingly enough, despite their similar outputs and performance, these two cars feel quite different as well. “I was actually surprised at just how fast the RC F was compared to that M3,” our host noted. “Because the M3 actually just feels faster. But on paper, they’re almost identical.” The biggest difference between the cars is their price, of course.
This comparison pits the cheapest M3, a manual non-Competition model, against the most expensive RC F in Lexus’ lineup, the Track Edition. The BMW starts out at just shy of $70k, while the Track Edition runs a hair under $98k. Of course, it also comes with a host of expensive upgrades including a boatload of carbon fiber parts and carbon-ceramic brakes, to name a couple.
As far as which car our reviewers would actually buy, it’s a split decision. “The coolness is off the charts for that RC F Track Edition,” one says. “So for me, as much as I love the M3 and M4, I’m gonna go team RC F Track Edition. If we’re awarding cool points, it gets all of them.” Objectively speaking, the other reviewer says that the M3 is a better car, overall. But as we’ve seen time and time again in the automotive world, cool factor is a huge selling point.
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